Review: Hocico – Wrack and Ruin

Review: Hocico – Wrack and Ruin
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HOCICO WRACK AND RUIN Metropolis 5/5   There is a special feeling when listening to a band for the first time and you are blown away by how good it is and you know you have just unearthed something amazing. That happened for me several years ago when I discovered Hocico’s first album, Odio Bajo

Review: Groove Junkies Feat. Solara – Sunshine

Review: Groove Junkies Feat. Solara – Sunshine
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GROOVE JUNKIES FEAT. SOLARA “SUNSHINE (SOL BRILLANTE)” MoreHouse Records Thank the lord for the Groove Junkies! Finally, the highly anticipated follow-up to the smash hit “Deeper” is here—no more worries. Once again, it’s the season for some of the best releases to be produced and this is in my top five. Featuring the sexy and

Review: Groove Junkies Feat. Alex Sky – I’ve Got It Bad

Review: Groove Junkies Feat. Alex Sky – I’ve Got It...
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  GROOVE JUNKIES FEAT. ALEX SKY “I’VE GOT IT BAD” Morehouse Records If you haven’t planned to pick this one up – stop reading and pre-order it now! We are blessed with another kick-ass, passionate lovin’ wicked track from the kings of house. Featuring the debut of multi-talented singer/songwriter, Alexander Sky – “I’ve got it

Local Reviews: The Fantazmic Four

Local Reviews: The Fantazmic Four
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The Fantazmic Four Self-titled Ha Style Records The Fantazmic Four = Run DMC + Fu-Schnickens If one is specific enough to label some DJs turntablists, then The Fantazmic Four (Ben Grimm and Mr. Fantazmic) are straight lyricists. More specifically, they are MCs’ MCs (to quote 50 on Eminem,”rappers’ rapper”). The Fantazmic Four are the type

Review: Bitter, Bitter Weeks – Revenge

Review: Bitter, Bitter Weeks – Revenge
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BITTER, BITTER WEEKS REVENGE My Pal God Philadelphia’s Brian McTear is vying for your attention and with Revenge he has earned it. These are songs that call back to the days when folk musicians were every bit as political and biting as anything punk would spit out. McTear is clearly dissatisfied with the world he

Local Review: When Cars Crash – All Kinds of Comfortable

Local Review: When Cars Crash – All Kinds of Comfortable
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WHEN CARS CRASH ALL KINDS OF COMFORTABLE (2002) Hibiscus Zombie When Cars Crash = Jade Tree Records + chutzpah One of the hardest things for me to do when helping out with Death by Salt was having to cut When Cars Crash’s track, “Shattered Smile”, from the comp after finding out it was previously released

Local Review: Yield – Self-titled demo

Local Review: Yield – Self-titled demo
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Yield Self-titled demo Yield = Alice in Chains + Metallica’s “Sanitarium” + Extreme   Mid-80s chunka-chunka low-end metal parleys with tender, suicidal Alice-in-Chains ballads touching on themes of mind-rupturing confusion with plenty of guitar-pick’d arpeggios and minor chords (choicest example: “Brainwash”). It’s been done before, but Yield succeeds at a much-traversed genre because they’re completely

Local Review: Vomit – Self-titled

Local Review: Vomit – Self-titled
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Vomit Self-titled Vomit = Pantera + Eyehategod + Napalm Death   I hate Pantera. Ogden’s Vomit are repeatedly compared to Pantera—but Vomit BLOW them AWAY no contest!!! The music is very crunchy and heavy, and tuned down much lower so they’re more on par with Napalm Death or Eyehategod. This band is also fucking brutal

Local Review: Victrola – 5-Song demo

Local Review: Victrola – 5-Song demo
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Victrola 5-Song demo Victrola = Mission of Burma + Pinback   SLUG got 5-Song Demo by Victrola for a Sabbathon demo in June but it’s so hot I took the liberty of reviewing it anyway. Down-home original indie rock like Dinosaur Jr. blends with a pinch of modern indie-rock jangle like Trail of the Dead, Pinback,

Local Review: Various Artists – Sound vs. Silence Vol. 1

Local Review: Various Artists – Sound vs. Silence Vol. 1
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Various Artists Sound vs. Silence Vol. 1 S vs. S = Her Candane + Still Breaking Hearts + Goodbye Blue Monday + Joel Pack + Clarity Process + Still Life Projector + The Hifi Massacre + Danny Vesper Even if Sound vs. Silence doesn’t showcase the best bands in SLC, they have no lack of talent